The district, however, disputes that it has too many custodians or that it''s possible to turn over responsibilities to part-timers as often as the audit suggests, the article noted.

"I consider our custodial staffing levels to be very lean," said Mark Betz, Bedford''s assistant superintendent for business who oversees its Building and Grounds Department.

According to the article, the department, which includes custodians and grounds workers, had 52 employees for 11 buildings, including seven regular schools, during the 2009-10 school year, the period of the audit.

At the same time, Betz said some of the suggestions were useful, including developing performance measures for custodians as a way to evaluate staffing needs, the article stated.